NOVEL NEXT Chapter 09: Hearing
The High Court Mountain Top.
The boundless sea of clouds, with its towering peaks, looked like a series of islands floating above the sea of clouds, a total of fifteen "islands" arranged in an arc.
Under the sunset, the ancient castles on the peaks were bathed in a reddish hue, exuding a sense of solitude through the passage of time.
No birds, no signs of life, except for the rolling clouds, seemed to exist here, giving an impression of complete stillness.
The fifteen "islands" did not mean there were only fifteen castles, nor did it mean only fifteen members of the Ten-thousand-year-old Blood Clan lived here.
In fact, some "islands" only had one castle, while others had densely packed clusters of castles.
This place had a beautiful name—Cloud's End. Those who resided here belonged to the entire Bloodline Elder Council, a total of three hundred and sixty elders.
The elders' statuses varied, ranging from the Grand Elders, ancestors of almost all Blood Clans, to ordinary elders who were simply forebears of certain families. Some elders had no descendants but still enjoyed the supreme power within the Blood Clan.
*Why would the sunlight-fearing Blood Clan, especially the powerful elders, choose to live in a place exposed to sunlight?*
*No one knew, at least the ordinary Blood Clan didn't.*
Some Blood Clans settled in places touched by sunlight, like Jones's Giant Snake City, due to the rich resources sunlight brought. But here, clearly, that was not the reason.
Gradually, as the sun set and the stars appeared, darkness finally swallowed the world.
Carriages emerged from the fog and headed toward the center of the arc, onto the "island" where there was a single magnificent castle—Blood Castle.
It was said that the Grand Elder Bartholomew, known as the common ancestor of all Blood Clans, resided in this castle.
Yes, Bartholomew, a name that sounded ancient and human. As for his surname, no one knew.
At this moment, inside the carriage, Jones had already donned a black, gold-trimmed ceremonial dress, with exquisite embroidery on the collar and sleeves. A shawl draped over his shoulders, designed with his emblem—the Nine-petal Snake Flower. The flower pattern adorned his chest, the back of the shawl, and even the collar and cuffs.
Of course, the cross-skull totem of the White Bone Holy Light Court was also present.
Sitting beside him, Adelle and Belle wore their usual ceremonial dresses, upgraded to more grandiose, meticulous attires.
"Will we meet the Grand Elder?" Jones asked.
"Probably... not," Adelle replied, "The Grand Elder rarely attends these hearings. Out of three hundred and sixty elders, usually only a dozen or so attend."
"Only a dozen? So few?"
"This time, the matter is quite significant, so maybe a few more will come. But definitely not many."
Belle interjected, "Sometimes I wonder, besides handling matters, what else do the elders do? They don't even attend hearings. What do they do in their free time?"
*Hmm...* Jones pondered, then asked, "Any news from your father?"
"News?"
"About the hearing, should I attend directly without any other preparation?"
"Oh, they didn't give me any news. But don't worry," Adelle shrugged, "Even if he doesn't want to help you, he still has to consider the investments in Giant Snake City. Do you know how much our Sambo family has invested there? It's astronomical."
"I don't think there will be any problems," Belle echoed.
Jones nodded and turned his face to look out the window.
All the carriages eventually stopped at the massive castle that resembled a palace complex.
As Jones got out of the carriage, the biting wind and the vast starry sky combined with the sea of clouds unfolded before him, as if he had entered a different world, evoking a sense of grandeur.
The Blood Clans from surrounding carriages also descended.
Among them was Tiris representing the Ganggro family with dozens of Blood Clans. Prince Harries representing the Nikolaus family, similarly with dozens of Blood Clans. The Sambo family had seven princes.
More were from smaller families, one by one, dressed in elegant attire too numerous to count.
From two other carriages, Dora, Goya, and four Liches gathered beside Jones. They were all dressed in freshly tailored ceremonial outfits, matching Jones in style and theme. The seven of them stood out in the crowd.
"Aren't you going to greet your father?" Jones asked Adelle.
"Alright, I'll go now." Adelle said, stepping lightly towards Prince Louis.
Meanwhile, the steward approached Jones and gestured "please."
Nodding slightly, Jones led the group up the grand staircase.
It was an enormous staircase, each step fifty meters wide, flanked by giant statues with Blood Clan themes. A total of forty-nine steps.
*"I never thought I'd be surrounded by so many Blood Clans."* Goya felt overwhelmed. Werewolves and Blood Clans were sworn enemies, after all.
Dora whispered reassuringly, "Don't be afraid, it's alright. No one will harm you."